Taking A Blogging Break - Why It Can Be Good For You

by Amanda Linette Meder

This morning I received a question about someone's lights flickering in their house.

While this can be a sign of an electrical problem, it’s also a possible sign of a more spiritual type issue happening (learn more here).

Anywho, I received this question the morning in my pajamas, whilst drinking a coffee in bed.

After I'd spent the entire week refreshing my creative well, taking a break from blogging and writing altogether, and quite honestly, taking a step back from blogging.

Over the years, I’ve routinely taken at least one blog break every year, either smack in the middle of summer or over the holiday season.

Each of my breaks has ranged from 4-6 weeks in length.

People warn about doing this, but I’ve never noticed that much of a difference in sales, visitors, or even a loss of readers when I’ve done it. Perhaps that's because in my eCourse, Marketing for Mediums, I talk about cultivating your ideal client and I've been working on that for years. Maybe my ideal client is okay with me relaxing. Or maybe they don't even notice.

For example, my favorite food blogger, Pinch of Yum, could be taking a break right now and I would have no idea because that's now how I interact with Lindsay's blog.

I continually read her work primarily because I enjoy her writing style.

I don't search her blog for new recipes every day, but when I'm looking for a new recipe, I always google Lindsay's blog + whatever I'm cooking that day + see what comes up.

Because I'm attracting my ideal reader to my blog and because I know I'm my ideal reader - I imagine I've got readers who shop my blog the way I shop Lindsay's.

So I’ve not always had a backlog of creative content to post in the interim when I've gone on a break.

Even still, I know my blog is the backbone of this website.

Everything good that’s happened to me in what I do now, has happened to me because of this blog.

The eBooks I’ve sold, the sessions people have purchased, and even The Membership Program I now host monthly - all - have happened because of this blog.

So I understand the need to keep it going. And while I don’t plan to quit it all together, there are many good and necessary reasons for taking a break:

Taking a blogging break allows you to refresh the creative well.

When you stop giving, giving, giving, teaching, teaching, teaching, and sharing, sharing, sharing, so much, itgives you more time to observe, do, and try out new things for yourself and for your brand.

Which is good because . . .

Slowing down the blogging train helps you write better blogs.

Furthermore, when you are always pushing out new content, you’ll find that some of the content will repeat itself - which is good in a way - because old marketing says that it takes seven times for a message to stick.

So if you have a service you’re talking about - talk about it seven times. If you have a message, and you need people to remember - say it in seven different ways.

(Side note: when I was in environmental activism, the message was to deliver it in at least three different ways, so a little less extreme, but still. For example, if you were working for the EPA and you wanted to educate homeowners on water pollution, you’d have to do at least radio spot, a pamphlet, and a billboard at a minimum, to get your message out there).

Moving on - people say it's good to repeat yourself. You get the point.

But as a single writer,understandably, doing that - it can be tiring for you - to constantly beat the horse with the same ‘ol thing every time.

It’ll help you come up with new things to write about.

Being in a constant tunnel of production is just that - a tunnel.

It’s easy to see where you are going, but it’s hard to tell where you are, in the grand scheme of things.

So stepping away from blogging a can help you see your message, your brand, what you’re talking about, from a new, outsider’s perspective, that’s a bit more objective. That allows new ideas to flow in.

And it gives space for new people to show up, who then infuse new life and understanding into your work. Which you'll need quite a bit because . . .

Being successful at blogging takes a lot of work.

When I was first starting my blog, it’s safe to say I worked anywhere between 80-100 hours a week on it. Now, I can easily say that number is down to 40-50, but I still regularly put in a good 60-70 hours sometimes. This is normal.

Like most bloggers would say - I agree -

My blog isn’t just a hobby - I eat, sleep, and breathe what I teach and talk about. There’s no other way my website would be what it is today. But here’s the thing - I don’t mind this at all.

This morning no sooner was I out of bed, then I had an old friend sending me video footage of different types of spirit phenomena they’d captured in their home.

Is this work, because it’s what I write about on the blog?

Or is this a hobby, because I was doing it over coffee in my pj's and I thoroughly enjoyed it?

Frankly, most successful bloggers are successful because they eat, sleep and breathe what they do. They walk the talk. They love what they do. And there's really no other way to be successful without that.

Without it being a work, a hobby, and a practice.

They’re out on Saturdays at flea markets looking for old, weird spirit stuff (if it’s in my case). Or on a Sunday, at the metaphysical fair shopping new energy healing supplies to try and write about. Or they're out buying ion emitting devices with their own money to see if they really work to create mini-force fields (true story).

Is this fun, or is this work?

This is always the question being asked by family, friends, and sometimes, by your own self.

And the truth is: that line is often too fine for a blogger.

So don’t stress yourself out over what is work, and what is not work. Because when what you write about is your life, the line of work-life balance almost doesn’t exist - so it’s fine to stop reaching for it.

But if you don’t feel yourself stopping altogether, or you worry about business, just change topics for a little bit.

Or try a new writing style.

Start taking your own original photography, and then let your snaps guide what you talk about that week.

Or start taking reader questions. (Bonus here: this actually helps you get to know your audience and identify what they're looking for).

Reader questions you can answer in your sleep, and on the plus side, you’re helping a ton of people at the same time. And, on the double plus side, it doesn’t feel like you are pulling a topic out of thin air - which can make the writing feel rigorous at times.

In my market, remember: I haven’t found a difference in doing "it" or not. Saving for a rainy day, that is.

So go, go experience life.

Most of my highest paying bookings have only happened once I've stepped away.

It's the way the Universe rewards.

Then, when you’re back, you’ll be able to share all that new wisdom you’ve gained with your readers.

You’ll have come up with some great ideas for new products, eBooks, and services you can offer.

And most importantly, you’ll feel refreshed.

Doing spiritual work, or any work of the heart requires a bit of a balance on the swing of the pendulum. Sometimes you swing all the way right, into the giving, into the extending, and other times, you swing all the way back, into the receptive state, into the inward.

For most people, blog burnout happens around the holidays - which makes sense - it’s wintertime in half of the world! This is the time of an inward swing for many of us.

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